Students do virtual math

By GINA KINSLOW
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW November 02, 2007 04:56 pm

— When Park City Elementary teacher Jeannie London began looking for ways to accelerate four exceptional math students, she turned to Kentucky Virtual Schools, an organization that offers a wide range of online, e-learning services.
“Starting with first grade here at the school we accelerate students depending on the math levels they are in, just like we do with reading,” London said. “We begin that very early and we are able to provide them exactly what they need with the regular classroom as far as reading goes through Accelerated Reader and through Flexible Grouping. With there only being four students ready for this kind of curriculum, we just basically had to think outside the box.”
Those four students completed the sixth-grade math curriculum as fifth-graders last year.
“They worked really hard last year to finish all of that curriculum and went through parts of the seventh- and eighth-grade accelerated math libraries,” London said. “So, this year, whenever we got ready to plan for what we wanted to do with them, we just went ahead and signed them up for the KVS class.”
Through KVS, the students can obtain the rigor via the online classes they need.
The students work at their own pace on computers in London’s classroom during the school day.
“They come in every day while the regular classroom of 28 students are working and they come in and get logged on,” she said. “They actually have a virtual teacher from Larue County High School who sets them up on a calendar. It’s all basically Internet accessible.”
The students do their homework and take quizzes and tests on-line. London’s only role is to assist the students if they need help.
“If they have a question, or whatever, then one of them will raise their hand to let me know and I go back and I just assist,” she said.
Before the students began the online Pre-Algebra class, London and principal Anthony Frazier talked to the students’ parents about the class.
“We made sure they agreed with it and that they understood the commitment it was going to be and the degree of rigor it was going to be for them,” Frazier said.
He and London also talked to parents about the amount of work the students would have to do on their own and how it could affect extra-curricular activities.
The students can do the classwork at school. They are not required to have a computer at home to do the work, but London said, if they do have a computer at home then that is OK.
“We make sure they have everything they need so that whenever they come in the technology is here for them,” she said.
Clifton Hurley is one of the four students who is taking the class.
“I like taking the class,” he said. “It’s more challenging than the other class. You really got to study on this one.”
Earlier this week he was working on a unit that dealt with fractions.
The computer program keeps up with how well he is doing by displaying his grade on the screen, so he, too, can monitor his progress.
“We have a test on every section and we have quizzes,” he said. “I took the Chapter 3 test yesterday. I made 100. You can take quizzes twice and tests twice. You can take sample tests as many times as you want. They don’t count as great.”
Tori Buckley is also taking the class.
“It challenges me and it’s just fun,” she said.
So far, she says she has learned a lot.
“I learned a lot about negative numbers and that you really have to try hard and you have to study,” she said.
Jared Love and Carter Young had to take into consideration the amount of time the class required and whether or not it would interfere with football.
Both said trying to squeeze the classwork in around football practices and games was sometimes difficult, but agree they enjoy the class because they can work at their own pace.
While the school year is only half over, London is already considering at least four students who will be offered a chance to take the class next year.
For more information about KVS, visit www.kyvs.org.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.